Chris Obekpa Named Big East Rookie Of The Week

Chris Obekpa has been named the Big East Rookie of the Week, the first time that the 6’9 center has received the award.

Despite St. John’s losing both of the games Obekpa played in this week, his strong defensive effort was enough to earn him the accolade. He averaged 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks in the losses against Rutgers and Georgetown.

His first block against Georgetown was his 77th of the season, allowing him to break the single season blocks record for St. John’s. He added to his record as the game went on, giving him 82 blocks on the year.

Also impressive to note is that with his 11 blocks in the two games, Obekpa only committed one foul. He also kept control of the ball on the offensive end, with only two turnovers over the course of the week.

Obekpa leads the nation in blocks per game, with 5.12 shots being rejected on average from the big man. He will get a chance to add to his record breaking season as St. John’s host #20 Notre Dame January 15 at MSG.